Kit list

Cycling kit list

I do not do "travelling light", especially when I have a car available to take spare kit from A to B. Thank you to my soigneur (my wife) for doing all the lugging around at each destination; it was really appreciated.

1. Clothing

Short sleeve jerseys x 2 (Foska), long sleeve jersey (Assos), shorts x 2 (Assos), short sleeve undervests x 2 (Helly Hansen), sleeveless undervests x 2 (Helly Hansen), socks x 2 (Endura), cycling cap, arm warmers & leg warmers (Assos), gilet (Assos), track mitts x 2 (Specialized), full finger gloves, shoes x 2 (Specialized & Bontrager), overshoes (Endura), helmet (Specialized), Goretex jacket (Gore)

2. Accessories

Cycling glasses, Garmin & HR chest strap, saddle pack, minipump, helmet light, bottles x 2, waterproof wallet

3. Tools & spares

Tool box, spare inner tubes x 2, spare multitool, dust sheet, spare wheels, workshop apron, nitrile gloves

4. Other

Maps, food (6 boxes of fig rolls, 6 packs of Percy Pigs, 6 packs of Panda natural liquorice bars), protein shake powder & shaker, Assos chamois cream, Sudacreme, Assos repair gel, sportswash, sun lotion (Reimann P20), sunscreen

Comments on kit

I was wondering before the ride whether or not to take all of the above; in the event, I used everything apart from the long sleeved jersey. Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list and if you are one of the really brave souls doing LEJOG unsupported then you will need to cut back heavily on what you carry. I was particularly glad of the excellent Assos T607 F1 Mille S5 bib shorts, which saved my rear from lasting damage. At the risk of sounding like an Assos junkie, the shorts, together with Assos  cream and repair gel, prevented any saddle sores appearing, although there was still considerable soft tissue bruising over the sit bones.
It may seem extravagant to take 2 pairs of shoes, but I was very glad of the second pair after the Dumbarton-Fort William leg, as the first pair were soaked beyond use and I would have damaged them, and possibly myself, beyond repair if I had used them in such a state.
I was also very glad on both leg and arm warmers on a couple of rainy days; the day over Glencoe did reveal the limitations of my 5 year old Goretex top,  so that is now on the "to be replaced" list. The trip did make me very aware that you get what you pay for when buying cycling kit.
Other mentions in dispatches go to: the dust sheet (which allowed my bike access to cream-carpeted bedrooms), nitrile gloves, and Reimann P20 sunscreen,  which not only keeps the sun at bay, but also keeps torrential Scottish rain from chilling tired legs.
There was obviously a whole load of off the bike kit which I do not need to go into; I am sure you can work that out for yourself.
I will talk more about the wondrous nutritional powers of Marks and Spencer Percy Pigs and Panda liquorice in my nutrition blog.

Keeping it clean
One of the worries I had was keeping my kit clean; suffice to say that the combination of a hot shower, some sportswash and a fluffy towel kept everything on the right side of the hygiene police for 10 days. And it also worked for me.